What does it mean when a celebrity denounces a consumer product line featuring their likeness?

Patricia DeLuca, Senior Managing Editor

December 21, 2022

2 Min Read
License Global holding image.
License Global holding image.

For celebrities, brand licensing is a way to earn income, and part of a celebrity’s trajectory is a brand licensing program. There are perfume rollouts, makeup collaborations, NFT partnerships, apparel collections with retailers and many more for their fans to purchase. Some celebrity consumer product lines are one-offs, while other celebrities launch lines under their name.  

Licensed fashion is big business. According to License Global’s Top Global Licensors Report, the category earns $37.6 billion in revenue, and the top category for licensees (70%).  

Most celebrities work with licensors and agencies to make sure their likeness is approved on upcoming merchandise and consumer products. So, when a celebrity takes to social media to discourage fans from buying their branded merch, it makes headlines.  

On Tuesday, musician Justin Bieber took to his Instagram Stories to discourage fans from buying apparel and accessories from global retailer H&M featuring his likeness and branding.  

Bieber is well-versed in licensing. Past collaborations include a home textiles line with Dreamtexdeodorant with Schmidt’s Natural and merch and food with Tim Hortons.

He also launched an apparel line, Drew House (which just dropped a collaboration with hockey team, Toronto Maple Leafs) and co-founded inBetweeners, an NFT initiative.  

Related:Tim Hortons, Justin Bieber Announce Partnership

“As with all other licensed products and partnerships, H&M followed proper approval procedures,” says

H&M in a statement to several news outlets. 

License Global reached out to representatives at Bravado, who has represented Bieber in licensing, but declined to comment.

From his past projects, the Grammy-award-winning artist has experienced the timespan of getting a licensed product to market. It could take months, if not years, to launch a licensing program approved by all parties involved (the celebrity, licensor, licensee, managers, et. al). If a retailer were to release an unauthorized product with a celebrity's likeness, they would risk cease-and-desist orders and additional legal consequences. He also knows the power of social media. A day after Bieber posted his IG Stories, H&M removed the branded merchandise. 

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About the Author(s)

Patricia DeLuca

Senior Managing Editor, License Global

Patricia DeLuca currently serves as License Global's Senior Managing Editor.

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